We certainly know more about how and why acute pain occurs. When injury occurs in the body, a message is sent to our brain, which interprets the message as pain. This is its cue to spring into action, and it begins orchestrating the process of healing and returning the body to its non-pain state... Read on >>

I don’t wear bells or whistles Or warn you of anything.I can mimic the thorn of a thistle,Unwelcome characters I bring.

Am I elusive or am I cleaver?The later makes more sense.And, with my willful endeavor,I can certainly be intense.

It's said I reside in your brain,I know I make you cry;Though like a runaway trainSpeeding through signals, I try.

So, if I come to you, my dear,I hope your character will oblige,My purpose is not often clear,Even I - know not why.

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Let Me Introduce Myself,

“I am Chronic Pain”by Celeste Cooper

“It’s important to be honest with ourselves. Are we resisting change or embracing it? Do we exhaust ourselves by grieving our past capabilities or resist chronic pain as a reality? Are we fretting over something we might have done differently? Are we hanging on to a relationship because we don’t want to accept that it isn’t mutually rewarding? Keeping a firm grip on our past is not helpful. The power comes from letting go and embracing change.”

Those who study and advocate for the ethical treatment of pain often use the term bio-psychosocial to describe how chronic pain affects the lives of approximately 100 million Americans, and 3-5% worldwide.

If you are reading this, you either live with chronic pain or know someone who does. You understand that chronic pain doesn’t stop at the physical level. Our mental capacity becomes foggy either from the associated disorder, like fibromyalgia, or from pain interference. Our brain needs sleep for many reasons, and lack of sleep does affect us on all levels. It affects our body, our relationships, our ability to think and work, our self-esteem, our socialization, and our pocket book. Addressing all these things is important to how we manage our pain and how our provider helps us. But this requires education. Provider and patient alike will improve outcome if we are all willing to rethink all the aspect chronic pain includes. This requires acceptance that chronic pain is a disease that affects every aspect of our lives. Its effects are bio-psychosocial, and this should be how chronic pain is perceived, judged and treated. But, it requires change.